Does a Crows Feathers Change?
by Novel-A-Holic
Summary: Setsuna was taken, or was she self sacrificed...? Is a Crow able to change its feathers, or change them back for that matter? Read inside for an angsty story filled with hope, loss and the possibility of love.


Dust blew through the clearing on the outskirts of Mahora. A voice sliced through the tension filled silence. Several figures, most of them made up of teenaged girls, shivered.

"Give me the strongest fighter here and I will let you cross this dimension unharmed" it wagered,

"One day of service and when i find it fit, they return. They will not be harmed physically by me or by my command" the dark abyss whispered like smoke all around them. It sent shivers down everyones spines

Eva, mana, and anybody else with a semblance of knowledge in magic could hear the sworn oath in its words.

They had to tread carefully, the darkness was making oaths that could not be broken, and it put everyone on edge.

All across the clearing, the girls and negi himself pondered the best possible way out of this mess, because no one believed promises from something that could sound so evil. No matter what oaths it made.

The group needed another way to persuade the enemy, to pacify it enough so it would not destroy the School Grounds.

Everyone was scared, but still, everyone was thinking to themselves that under no circumstance would they sacrifice Negi for the Schools safety.

Konoka was so scared, she cowered behind setsuna who stood a few feet in front of her protectively. So from her vantage point, Konoka was able to see Setsuna tense at the words as soon as they were spoken. But...why?

Konoka knew her guard so well, and in knowing herso well she knew that if Setsuna showed hesitation, it was for a reason. A very important reason.

Konoka was worried, she couldnt even count the amount of times Setsuna had ever hesitated if she HAD in fact ever hesitated, but she could scarce remember a time!

No, their was the one time, when Setsuna was about to leave all together, the beliefs of her Crow Tribe heritage making her foolish. She had actually been prepared to leave over the fact that Konoka had seen her wings.

It was when Konoka hugged her beloved guard tightly, urging and reassuring her that the wings were beautiful, that Konoka loved them, that Setsuna was no longer affiliated with the Crow Tribe, that she was wanted and needed here, with Konoka, with Mahora.

The hesitation Konoka felt emanate from the slightly shorter girl was noticeable. But in the end, she succumbed to Konokas coo-ing, and Asunas less than graceful threats of finding Setsuna and simply dragging her back.

Konoka was brought out of her inner monologue as she heard Negi address the abyss.

Negi was saying how he would accept, go with the evil smoke, so long as the School Grounds were promised under spell binding oath, not to be meddled with.

Asuna tried to stop him when konoka finally peeled herself away from setsunas back to help persuade Negi with her distraught red headed friend.

"Negi you idiot! You are not going anywhere!" Asuna cried, grabbing hold of his shirt and trying to give him a shake

"Think about it Negi. How can it be 'one day of service' if it said they come back when it 'sees fit' " mana said seriously, her eyes darting to setsuna, something Konoka did not miss

The abyss laughed, as if he thought it were the funniest joke, at if the smoke itself had a sense of humor

Konoka watched confused as Setsuna turned to look over to her, her normally stoic face was full of shame. But why...?

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, and reflecting on it some time later, Konoka realized she was in shock, that her mind came to a conclusion and refused to believe it. But all of this in the same moment.

Konokas stomache dropped as the abyss spoke, shrouding the group in its voice

"Insolent child, do not mock me. I asked for the strongest here. Do not keep me waiting" it threatened, and all traces of humor fully gone from its voice.

Konoka remained locked in a gaze with Setsuna, trying to understand what was going on... what was she trying to convey through her eyes? Through her guilt ridden face?

"I cannot let you all come to harm. This is all my fault, and I will take up for it" Negi declared in a voice way too mature for his 10 year old figure. Every one of his students marvelled at his bravery. Finally, Asuna let go of him, realizing the boy would be the martyr no matter the cost, even it being his life. He was too honour bound and stubborn to listen to her.

Negi stepped forward, walking towards the point where the smoke seemed thickest, and the voice more pronounced

The abyss growled, and several of the girls knees wobbled in fear

"I will NOT REPEAT MYSELF! Give me the strongest here or else-

"I accept" Setsuna said, slicing through and cutting off the horrifying voice, ending its threat while she held a silent apology within her grey pools which were still locked with Konokas teary Chocolate orbs.

Everyone gasped, but Negi, Negi looked almost hurt, as if he was genuinely hurt that he was not in fact considered the strongest.

Konoka felt herself have what she could could only describe as a panic attack. Absolute panic. The kind that makes you immobile and stunned.

She opened her mouth to say...something! Her mind was spinning and she felt like her heart was ripping out and she was sure she would vomit from it all

All that she did was let out a sob, moving to walk back towards Setsuna's figure, once again she felt the slow motion, as if she were striding through waste deep waters

The abyss spoke quickly, as if rushing.

"Finally, very well. As agreed, you do one days time of work, and i send you back when i see fit" it recited its earlier price, as Setsuna broke eye contact with konoka, guilt and shame clear in her eyes.

It was the last time Konoka saw those grey pools.

And as simple as that, Setsuna form disappeared as it walked into the smoke and was surrounded by mist

It was later that konoka realized she had a raw throat, she was told it was because she had been shouting at her secchan, begging her not to go, Asuna said at the end, right before the abyss took her guard, that konoka had even tried forbidding her, calling upon the authority she held over the younger girl, ordering her even, demanding she not go.

All the same, Setsuna kept her eyes forward...marching into the darkness.

A/N:

Hello again Fanfiction! Its been too long.

(Yes i know i have two abondoned stories, please dont remind me, i have given up on them for now, mostly because i have no clue what the me of several years ago was trying to accomplish in them, so let the past stay in the past, but who knows? If a lot of people show interest i might just give them another shot!)

first things first, i write these on my Iphone, so please excuse my less than gracious format and over all flow of the fic.

Second thing, please let me know who all reads this and would honestly like to have it continued, as i have another chapter waiting in the wings!

Thank you and enjoy~

-S


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